TV footage shows Afghan insurgents with US ammo 10 Nov 2009 Television footage broadcast Tuesday showed 'insurgents' handling what appears to be U.S. ammunition in a remote area of eastern Afghanistan that American forces left last month following a deadly firefight that killed eight troops. The U.S. military said the forces that left the area said they removed and accounted for their equipment. Al-Jazeera broadcast video showing insurgents handling weapons, including anti-personnel mines with U.S. markings on them. [See: The Obusha AfPak Money Pit WHY (besides protecting gas and opium pipelines) is the US is *still* in Afghanistan (and Pakistan)? --LRP]
Bush officials lead Iraq business push 09 Nov 2009 Senior Bush administration figures including Zalmay Khalilzad, former US ambassador to Baghdad, and Jay Garner, the retired general who led reconstruction efforts immediately after the war, are leading a new business push into Iraq. The two one-time senior officials are among a raft of former US soldiers and diplomats either leveraging their war experience helping foreign companies to enter the Iraqi market or starting businesses there themselves.
'Highlighting the neo-colonial nature of this operation, two former top American officials under the Bush administration are now facilitating corporate deals in Iraq.' The plunder of Iraq's oil (WSWS) 11 Nov 2009 The awarding of development rights over the huge West Qurna oilfield in southern Iraq to Exxon-Mobil and Royal Dutch Shell last Thursday once again underscores the criminal character of the continuing US-led occupation. As the direct result of the Iraq war, major American and other transnational energy conglomerates are now gaining control over some the largest oilfields in the world.
US firm Blackwater in Iraq bribery scandal: report 10 Nov 2009 Executives at US security firm Blackwater approved secret payments of about one million dollars to Iraqi officials to "silence their criticism" after company guards killed 17 civilians in Baghdad in 2007, the New York Times has said. Citing interviews with four unnamed former Blackwater executives, the Times said the company's president at the time, Gary Jackson, approved the bribes.
Blackwater Authorized $1M In Bribes to Iraqi Officials After Shootings --Blackwater's buying off government officials is illegal under US law 11 Nov 2009 Top executives at Blackwater Worldwide authorized secret payments of about $1 million to Iraqi officials that were intended to silence their criticism and buy their support after a September 2007 episode in which Blackwater security guards mercenaries fatally shot 17 Iraqi civilians in Baghdad, according to former company officials. Blackwater approved the cash payments in December 2007, the officials said, as protests over the deadly shootings in Nisour Square stoked long-simmering anger inside Iraq about reckless practices by the security company’s employees. Four former Blackwater executives said in interviews that Gary Jackson, who was then the company’s president, had approved the bribes, and the money was sent from Amman, Jordan, where Blackwater maintains an operations [and torture] hub, to a top manager in Iraq. [See: Blackwater/Xe in Pakistan.]
U.S. to Pick Courts for Guantanamo Inmates by Nov. 16 08 Nov 2009 The U.S. will decide by Nov. 16 whether to try Guantanamo detainees prisoners in military or civilian courts, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said. While President Barack Obama’s administration remains committed to closing the prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, doing so by Obama’s Jan. 22 deadline will be "difficult," Holder told reporters today in Doha, Qatar.
Yoo Withdrew: Amidst Growing Call for Criminal Investigation, Torture Memos Author John Yoo Withdraws from Federalist Society Panel Posted by Alliance for Justice 09 Nov 2009 Amidst a growing call for a criminal investigation of the DOJ lawyers who authorized torture, John Yoo, author of the most infamous of the "torture memos" withdrew as a speaker at the conservative Federalist Society Convention where Alliance for Justice and human rights supporters are scheduled to take action.
3 ND soldiers suing contractors --Similar lawsuits against the contractors have been filed in 33 other states. 10 Nov 2009 Three North Dakota men who were stationed with the military in Iraq are suing military contractors Halliburton Co. and KBR, Inc., alleging the companies exposed them to toxic fumes and ash from burn pits used for waste. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Fargo by Patrick Cassidy of Fargo, William Dutton of Bismarck and Christopher Kozel of the Minot Air Force Base. The lawsuit claims the contractors burned everything from human remains to dangerous chemicals and medical waste in the open-air pits.
Lockerbie: Human rights lawyer states Megrahi was framed By Steve James 11 Nov 2009 Leading British human rights lawyer Gareth Peirce has stated that, in her opinion Abdel Baset Ali al-Megrahi, the only man accused and convicted of the 1988 bombing of PanAm flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, was framed. ...[F]ollowing the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait in 1991, Iran and Syria both assisted the US invasion of Iraq. It was at this time that the focus of the Lockerbie investigation was shifted. Vincent Cannistraro, the architect of the Reagan administration’s CIA campaign of destabilisation against the Libyan government of Colonel Muammar Gadhaffi, was brought out of retirement to head the new line of investigation.
The Framing of al-Megrahi By Gareth Peirce 24 Sep 2009 It is, of course, now all about oil. Only a simpleton could believe that Abdelbaset Ali al-Megrahi, convicted of responsibility for the Lockerbie bombing, was not recently returned to his home in Libya because it suited Britain... Extraordinarily, however, distinct from the Dumfries and Galloway police, scores of men, some wearing no insignia, some the insignia of the FBI and Pan Am (it was noted at the time that many of these men were clearly not Pan Am staff), invaded the area. Lockerbie residents reported seeing unmarked helicopters hovering overhead, carrying men with rifles whose telescopic sights were pointing directly at them.
Obama exploits Fort Hood massacre to promote US wars By Bill Van Auken 11 Nov 2009 President Barack Obama used his speech at Tuesday’s service for the 13 men and women killed last week at Fort Hood, Texas to promote the two ongoing US wars and his own plan to escalate the intervention in Afghanistan. The president delivered his remarks as his administration is finalizing plans to send tens of thousands more US troops to Afghanistan.
Military not told about Ft. Hood suspect's e-mails 11 Nov 2009 Two high-profile anti-terrorism task forces did not inform the Defense Department about contacts between a radical Islamic cleric and the Army psychiatrist accused of killing 13 people in last week's rampage at Ft. Hood, a senior Defense official said Tuesday. The FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Forces investigated e-mails that Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan sent over the last year to Anwar al Awlaki, an imam in Yemen who espouses a radical Islamist ideology and who has ties to militants. However, officials said, task force members concluded that the communications posed no threat and had been undertaken as part of Hasan's research on Muslims, the military and post-traumatic stress disorders.
Senior Official: More Hasan Ties to People Under Investigation by FBI --Alleged Shooter Had 'Unexplained Connections' to Others Besides Jihadist Cleric Awlaki 10 Nov 2009 A senior government official tells ABC News that investigators have found that alleged Fort Hood shooter Nidal Malik Hasan had "more unexplained connections to people being tracked by the FBI" than just radical cleric Anwar al Awlaki. The official declined to name the individuals but Congressional sources said their names and countries of origin were likely to emerge soon. Questions already surround Major Hasan's contact with Awlaki, a radical cleric based in Yemen whom authorities consider a recruiter for al Qaeda [al-CIAduh].
FBI Agents Search Trash At Mosque Attended by Hasan --Agents Seen Pulling Material from Dumpster Outside Killeen Mosque 10 Nov 2009 FBI agents appeared to be carrying out a search warrant today at the Killeen, Texas mosque attended by Major Nidal Malik Hasan, the Islamic Community Center of Greater Killeen. Local police were called to cordon off the area and told ABC News they were acting on instructions from the FBI. Moments later, four agents, wearing blue gloves, began to search through a trash bin outside the mosque.
Fort Hood suspect to be tried in military court 10 Nov 2009 The army psychiatrist suspected in the killing of 13 people in a shooting at the Fort Hood Army post will be charged in a military court, U.S. government officials said on Monday. The official said there is no indication that the accused gunman, Major Nidal Malik Hasan, had been planning an attack.
FBI, military checked Hasan, saw no terror threat, officials say 10 Nov 2009 The FBI and the military investigated contacts between an Army psychiatrist accused of last week's deadly shooting rampage at Fort Hood and a Yemen-based militant over the past year but concluded he didn't pose a terrorist threat, senior law enforcement and military officials said Monday.
Fort Hood Gunman Gave Signals Before His [Alleged] Rampage 09 Nov 2009 Major Hasan’s behavior in the months and weeks leading up to the shooting bespeaks a troubled man full of contradictions. He lived frugally in a run-down apartment, yet made a good salary and spent more than $1,100 on the pistol the authorities said he used in the shootings.
US Senate to probe whether base massacre was terrorism 10 Nov 2009 A Senate committee on homeland security will investigate the mass shootings at Fort Hood, Texas, to determine whether Major Nidal Malik Hasan's deadly shooting rampage was an act of terrorism. The chairman of the Senate committee on homeland security, Joseph Lieberman [I-Israel], told Fox News Sunday there had been ''strong warning signs'' that Major Hasan was an ''Islamist extremist''.
Ft. Hood: Official story full of holes By Gregory Patin 10 Nov 2009 The more information there is, the more inconsistencies that can be found. That does not make any topic a conspiracy theory, it just makes it what it is...questionable. A good example is what allegedly happened at Ft. Hood last week... A retired MP, Michael Martinez also said: "No way! That would be impossible. Even if he had two semi-auto pistols [according to reports he used a 9mm and a .357 revolver to gun down over 40 people] he would still have had to stop to reload and someone would have jumped his ass. Most people on base aren't carrying [weapons], but MPs are and they would have been there in a heartbeat." (CLG item in article)
Fort Hood Shooting Oddities.... By vii 10 Nov 2009 Folks, there are problems with the delivered Fort Hood Massacre scenario. You will not hear about them in the controlled press. You will hear about them in the alternative, internet media. Which is why the globalist cabal is seeking to censor it. All under the guise of "fighting hate", of course.... (CLG item in telegraph.co.uk blog)
CLG Exclusive: Fort Hood: 'This story stinks to high heaven.' --SFC, who spent ten years at Fort Hood, comments on Ft. Hood events 09 Nov 2009 I spent 10 years at Ft Hood. There is no way this 'official' story is legitimate. No way would a room full of combat vets allow this one shooter to get off over 100 rounds! And, it is not normal for the outside security guards to be there. They are at the MP station, and at the main gates. This means the room full of soldiers processing must have been pinned down; multiple shooters is the only plausible scenario. This sounds like MAJ Hasan has been used, and perhaps is a patsy. --SFC Donald Buswell (Retired)
Subpoenas We Can Believe In: Justice Dept. Asked For News Site's Visitor Lists 10 Nov 2009 In a case that raises questions about online journalism and privacy rights, the U.S. Department of Justice sent a formal request to an independent news site ordering it to provide details of all reader visits on a certain day. The grand jury subpoena also required the Philadelphia-based Indymedia.us Web site "not to disclose the existence of this request" unless authorized by the Justice Department, a gag order that presents an unusual quandary for any news organization. The subpoena from U.S. Attorney Tim Morrison in Indianapolis demanded "all IP traffic to and from www.indymedia.us" on June 25, 2008.
Flu suspect booted off plane: Woman says concerns over flu forced her off flight 11 Nov 2009 A woman says she was booted from a flight from Tampa to Hawaii because the flight crew aboard the aircraft suspected she had the flu. Mitra Mostoufi, 50, says she was humiliated when she was taken off the United Airlines flight on Monday morning. She says she doesn't "need to be treated like a disease." Mostoufi says she doesn't have the flu. She says medication for restless leg syndrome made her feel nauseous, so she asked for an air sickness bag. After she made the request, a United Airlines employee told her to leave the aircraft.
Mysterious flu in Ukraine continues to intensify --Nearly three quarters of the Ukrainian population have flu-like symptoms of the mysterious virus 10 Nov 2009 Digital Journal reported at the end of October that more than 40,000 Ukrainians contracted a serious virus but now more than three quarters (478,456) of Ukrainians have contracted the flu-like symptoms, according to Radio Netherlands... The mysterious flu strain has caused a variety of theories such as biological warfare. Jose Mosse, who is a former microbiologist for the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad, called into a radio talk show warning about a biological weapon that would occur in Ukraine by Baxter International. [See: Baxter working on vaccine to stop swine flu, though admitted sending live pandemic flu viruses to subcontractor 26 Apr 2009.]
Glaxo wins OK to sell H1N1 vaccine in U.S. 11 Nov 2009 London-based GlaxoSmithKline won U.S. approval to sell its vaccine to fight H1N1 influenza, also known as swine flu, after an eight-week delay. The Food and Drug Administration cleared the vaccine as a strain change to Glaxo's FluLaval seasonal flu vaccine, the drug maker said Tuesday in an e-mailed statement. The U.S. Health and Human Services Department has ordered 7.6 million doses of the swine flu vaccine as part of about 250 million doses secured from all manufacturers, the company said.
I'm doing 'God's work'. Meet Mr Goldman Sachs --The Sunday Times gains unprecedented access to the world's most powerful, and most secretive, investment bank 08 Nov 2009 Goldman Sachs, this pillar of the free market, breeder of super-citizens, object of envy and awe will go on raking it in, getting richer than God? An impish grin spreads across Blankfein’s face. Call him a fat cat who mocks the public. Call him wicked. Call him what you will. He is, he says, just a banker "doing God’s work"
Previous lead stories: Obama's Afghan Plan: About 40,000 More Troops --CBS: Sources Say Force Will Grow to 100,000 - Nearly Filling Gen. McChrystal's Request; Long-Term [Blackwater/KBR] Stay Planned 09 Nov 2009 Tonight, after months of conferences with top advisors, President Obama has settled on a new strategy for Afghanistan. CBS News reports that the president will send a lot more troops and plans to keep a large force there, long term. ...Informed sources tell CBS News he intends to give Gen. Stanley McChrystal most, if not all, the additional troops he is asking for. McChrystal wanted 40,000 and the president has tentatively decided to send four combat brigades plus thousands more support troops.
Hasan Computer Reveals No Terror Ties 09 Nov 2009 A preliminary review of the computer of Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan, the accused shooter in Thursday's rampage at Fort Hood in which 13 people were killed, has revealed no evidence of any connection to terror groups or conspirators, according to law enforcement officials. CBS News reports that an examination of the computer has revealed Hasan visited Web sites promoting radical Islamic views, but investigators have not found any e-mail communications with outside facilitators or known terrorists.
Soldier Found With 100 Pounds of C-4 Released From Jail --The ATF, FBI and Montgomery County Bomb Squad investigated the case, trying to determine whether the explosives came from Fort Campbell. 05 Nov 2009 An Army Special Forces soldier who admitted to police that he was stockpiling military-grade explosives outside his home near Fort Campbell was released from jail into the custody of his wife. U.S. Magistrate Judge Cliff Knowles gave the order releasing 25-year-old Sgt. 1st Class Timothy Ryan Richards during a detention hearing Thursday in federal court in Nashville. He was charged with possessing two unregistered automatic weapons but he has not yet entered a plea.
